The Baig Idea
Welcome to The Baig Idea! Your resource for addressing chronic pain and getting back to real living, including insights from our resident expert surgeon, Dr. Rafath Baig.
The 8 Most Common Causes of Back Muscle Pain
If your back hurts, it can sometimes be challenging to tell if your back pain is muscular or coming from your spine. The treatment for muscle pain is different from the treatment for bone or nerve pain, so determining the underlying cause of your discomfort is...
Pinched Nerve in the Neck and Arm: How to Relieve Pain
If you have a pinched nerve in your neck, arm pain may be one of the first signs of trouble. Let’s look at what causes a pinched nerve in the neck, its symptoms, and how you can relieve your discomfort. What causes a pinched nerve in the neck and arm? Pain can be a...
Traveling By Car After Back Surgery: How to Make It Happen
If you are traveling after back surgery, by car, plane, or rail, you may have some understandable concerns. The good news is that the situation may be easier than you think! Let’s take a look at some of the most common questions that we get regarding travel after...
When to talk to your doctor about nerve pain in your lower leg
We get a lot of questions about when to talk to your doctor about nerve pain: in the lower leg, in the lower back, in the upper leg and hips, and in the foot. The most simple answer is that if you are experiencing nerve pain in your lower back and legs, it is probably...
10 Questions to Ask Before Back Surgery
Do you know what questions to ask before back surgery? If your doctor has recommended a procedure, you’d do well to understand thoroughly what the recommendation is, why they have made it, and what you should expect. While your doctor will provide you with...
Scoliosis Surgery – Should You Have It? Maybe…
If you are considering scoliosis surgery, let’s chat. Our clients know that Desert Spine and Scoliosis will never perform surgery unless it’s the very best solution. They understand that Dr. Baig will only recommend surgery after trying if more conservative approaches...
Laminectomy: An Alternative to Major, Invasive Surgery for Spinal Stenosis
As someone with spinal stenosis, you've probably started doing research on treatment options. One concern you might develop is: Is a laminectomy a major surgery? The truth is, this surgery option is minimally invasive and is an outpatient surgical procedure, with no...
Headaches and Neck Pain: Common Jobs That Cause Discomfort
If you frequently experience headaches and neck pain, your job may be to blame. There are a number of jobs that can cause headache, neck, and shoulder pain without you even knowing it. Let’s take a look at a handful of jobs that can contribute to neck pain and...
Intracept Procedure
Intracept is a procedure that targets a particular nerve to improve function and relieve pain. This minimally invasive outpatient procedure provides relief for vertebrogenic low back pain. NOT EVERYONE IS A CANDIDATE FOR INTRACEPT PROCEDURE. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR...
How to Choose a Spine Surgeon
There are few decisions as important as choosing the right spine surgeon. It’s crucial to carefully analyze the options and to make the best choice possible. So, we’ve created this guide on how to choose a spine surgeon. Check Credentials When it comes to choosing a...
Understanding Degenerative Disc Disease
Have you been told that you have degenerative disc disease? Let’s talk about what this means and put your mind at ease. Before we talk about what degenerative disc disease is, we want to explain what it isn’t. It’s not REALLY a disease at all. You see, degenerative...
Can I Get Back Surgery if I Smoke
Did you know that your insurance can deny your back surgery if you smoke? We often have patients ask why we include smoking restrictions in our pre-surgery instructions, so we thought it was time to chat about what we have seen, and why some insurance companies have a...